FALL RIVER — A Dartmouth woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing $1.2 million from an elderly New Bedford podiatrist for whom she was caring.

Gloria Balestracci, 68, was ordered to pay back the money and sentenced to two years in the House of Correction, according to the attorney general's office, which prosecuted the case.

She pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to larceny over $250 from a person over 60, four counts of forgery, four counts of uttering, two counts of making and subscribing false tax returns and two counts of aiding and assisting in making false statements on income tax returns.

Judge D. Lloyd MacDonald ordered Balestracci to pay restitution in the amount of $1,216,292.71 and serve 10 years of probation upon completion of her sentence.

She pleaded guilty to stealing from the late Dr. Irving R. Snyder, a New Bedford podiatrist, between 2004 and 2009.

Balestracci worked as Snyder's office manager for 13 years and then, when he retired, she became his home health aide. Snyder was 90 at the time of his death in 2009.

Dr. Snyder's nephew, Don Snyder, 61, a New Bedford native who now lives in Louisville, Ky., said Tuesday that the family has some closure because of her plea, but takes no joy in it.

"It's not a joyous moment for us at all," he said. "We don't take any pleasure in her pain. She had a choice and she should pay for her actions.

"It's a moral victory. I don't think anyone won," he said. "It's shame for her family and us that we had to go through this."

His family spent 4½years fighting the matter and wanted Balestracci to receive "a harsher sentence," he said.

According to a civil lawsuit filed by Don Snyder and his sister, Janice Michalski of New Berlin, Wis., Balestracci told them in 2009 when they arrived to make funeral arrangements for their uncle, that "Doc (Dr. Snyder) was broke."

She said she had pancreatic cancer and that their uncle had paid for her treatment because it wasn't covered by insurance, according to court documents.

Then later, she admitted lying about the cancer and said she had a spending and gambling problem.

"This defendant took advantage of an elderly man that she was supposed to care for and stole over a million dollars from him, which was nearly his entire life savings that he had earned working as a doctor," AG Martha Coakley said in a press release. "Through this sentence, she is being held accountable for exploiting a vulnerable citizen when she was in a position of power and trust."

From about 2004 through 2009, Balestracci stole more than $1.2 million from the doctor. Balestracci forged signatures of the doctor and her family members on checks that she cashed for her personal benefit, the AG's office said.

She also made credit card payments from the doctor's account to credit cards in her name, the AG's office said.